


Miserable Place

by m_malpractice



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Armitage Hux Being An Asshole, Birthday Party, Don't Have to Know Canon, Established Relationship, Everyone Has Issues, F/F, I don't have it all worked out yet, I love the tag, I'm sorry mart crowley, Idiots in Love, Insults, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Phasma/Rey (Star Wars), Party Games, Rewrite, based on "The Boys in the Band", but goes differently, it's basically starts like a retelling of the play, sad gay folx
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:40:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28388664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m_malpractice/pseuds/m_malpractice
Summary: Benjamin has his 32nd birthday today, and Armitage will try to do everything to ruin the evening.(Based on the play "The Boys in the Band")
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron/Armitage Hux
Kudos: 5





	Miserable Place

**Author's Note:**

> All the necessary info is basically in tags. I just really love the play and want to see how the plot developes with completely different characters. Please don't take my attempt seriously :)
> 
> Ben and Hux basically love each other but don't confess, and Poe is Armitage's friend with privileges at the moment.
> 
> Oh and everybody's calling Ben BENJAMIN bc I find it suitable I'M SORRY

He drops the ice pack as he goes up the stairs. This happens exactly at the moment when he hears the phone ringing in the apartment, and he faintly hopes that it is someone else's phone ringing there, alone and abandoned. Alas, poor phone. He picks up the ice pack, drops the bag of groceries instead, but at least he doesn't let go of the gift box and bouquet.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

The caller does not hear him and continues to torment the phone until he finally reaches the apartment door. Then the ringing stops and starts again exactly at the moment when Armitage tries to move the purchases to the kitchen. He rips the phone off the wall with one hand, and the ice pack opens in his other, spilling its contents onto the kitchen floor.

"Holy shit!"

"Is that a buzzword now instead of 'Hello'?" Poe laughs uncertainly on the other end of the phone.

"Fuck no!"

"But it sounds like it is," Poe teases. Armitage tries to pick up the pieces of ice with one hand, but he can't reach all of them.

"Listen, okay. Actually, I'm calling to ask if you have anything effective that can possibly help prevent my nervous breakdown at the gas station."

"Isn’t your therapist waiting for you to write you a nice new prescription?"

"No, that’s the problem. That bastard canceled the meeting, can you imagine? I'm already in town. Can I come to your place?"

"No, damn it, I'm actually very busy. Today is Ben's…”

Millicent comes over and licks a piece of ice with interest. Armitage looks at her as if he's forgotten what he is talking about.

"Armitage Brendol Hux, you stopped breathing."

"…I’m here," Armitage says with difficulty. "It's Benjamin's birthday today."

He has so much more to do. It's only midday, but he feels that his nervous tension will soon reach its limit. His fingers tremble, and Armitage holds out his hand to make sure. Yes, they do.

"It must be hard for you. So I’m coming?"

“Of course, you obnoxious animal. But only if you buy some ice on the way.”

"I can't buy ice when I'm having a nervous breakdown," Poe chuckles, and hangs up.

Armitage only has time to lift Millicent on the table and wipe the water on the floor, then take a shower hastily and throw a robe over his shoulders when the doorbell rings. Poe, standing in the doorway, looks exhausted, but still smiles. They stare at each other for a moment, both looking exhausted and nervous, and then Armitage steps away to let him into the apartment. He has a gym bag with him. Ignoring Armitage, Poe immediately takes the stairs to the second floor.

"I didn't come to see you, I just wanted to take a shower in your cozy bathroom like a normal person!" he shouts cheerfully from above.

"Don't you dare leave your filthy uniform anywhere near my laundry!" Armitage shouts in response. "It's absolutely disgusting!"

Poe’s already undressing, throwing his clothes randomly on the bedroom floor. Armitage looks melancholically at his strong shoulders and back, which has a couple of small birthmarks and scars, but otherwise is just perfect. He used to think at times like this that things could have been very different between him and Poe. Now he thinks he wouldn't mind a pity sex.

Armitage passes by, resisting the urge to push him with his shoulder, and disappears back into the bathroom to try to do something with his hair.

"So what’s happened to your therapist?"

"He called and canceled the appointment, I told you. But I was already in town."

"Staying for the party?"

"Yeah, since I'm already here. It’s gonna be a lot of people?”

"Just you, me, Phasma and Rey, and hopefully Finn. I’ve tried to persuade Mitaka to pretend that we are going to give him to Ben as a gift and let me tie a bow around his neck, but he’s too shy.”

Poe laughs, very close to him. He's standing in the bathroom doorway in his underwear (sun-kissed skin, dark wavy hear), and doesn't look like someone who is on the verge of a nervous breakdown at all. Armitage puts the hair gel back on the shelf with a trembling hand and stares at the mirror. Combed back and carefully styled with a lot of gel, his hair looks too dark and sleek, and his face seems odd because of it. Too masculine. For some reason, he hates it like that. Armitage decides to wash his hair again and style it differently.

"Rey would definitely say we shouldn't give Mitaka as a gift," Poe sheds his underwear and slips past him into the shower, slapping his ass as he goes. Armitage wants to feel offended, but the man is already closing the semi-transparent door behind him. Armitage turns and watches his silhouette under the shower with one eye, then runs into the bedroom to find a decent pullover.

"He's not going celebrate with his family, is he?" asks Poe dully, turning off the water. Armitage frantically adjusts the collar of his pullover in front of the mirror. No, blue does not suit him at all. And they say that redheads look good in blue! No, pink’s better. He hurriedly drops the pullover by the sink and goes back to look for the pink one in his closet.

"Is it wool?” Poe gets out of the shower and, judging by the rustle, finds a towel and dries himself, looking at the rejected piece of clothing.

"It's fucking cashmere, you savage.”

Poe picks up the pullover and puts it to his cheek, closing his eyes, and Armitage feels the blood rush to his face. God have mercy.

"My entire wardrobe is worth as much as that piece of cashmere of yours.”

"I know. Drop it where you took it, please.”

Poe slowly unclenches his fingers, and the sweater slips out of them, falling to the floor. He holds the towel at his waist, not even bothering to tie it, and looks at Armitage as if he has other plans instead of getting dressed. Armitage swallows uncomfortably, adjusting his sleeve.

"Staying for the night?"

“Nah, I better go home.”

Armitage looks at him with regret as he puts on Armitage's robe, which is probably still wet. The robe is a little too big for Armitage, but it fits well on Poe. (And would probably be a size too small for Ben, he thinks.)

Poe drops into a chair and crosses his legs, allowing the short robe rise too high.

"In our time, you need to know how to earn money," says Armitage instructively for some reason. "But don't think I'm swimming in gold here. Do you think I'm a happy person because I have a couple of expensive things? Lots of expensive things? You think I'm a snob?”

“God, Armitage, you're the biggest snob I know even without all the money.”

"You're mopping the floors at a diner, for God's sake."

He sits on the bed to re-tie the ribbon on the gift box – he doesn't like the way it looks. It's red, to match Ben’s second favorite color. But when he looks at the box, his hands drop, weak.

"I'm tired," he mutters. "I saw the whole planet from the plane window, but I hardly remember the places I visited. I don't remember anything in Paris except the view from the hotel balcony.”

Poe gets up and sits on the bed behind him, hugging him. For some reason, Armitage relaxes in his arms instead of tensing up as usual. When he sighs and tries to turn around to look at Poe, Poe suddenly grabs his chin with two fingers and kisses him on the lips, gently and softly. And this is somehow the saddest thing that happens to Armitage during the day.


End file.
